Exercising apparatus.



.No. 754.992. PATENTED MAR. 22, 1904.

G. A. GRABNER. EXEROISING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 26, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES Patented lV Iarch 22, 1901- PATENT OEETQE.

EXERCISING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 754,992, dated March22, 1904;.

Application filed March 26, 1903.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. GRABNER, a citizen of the United States,residing at -Warsaw,- in the county of Kosciusko and State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ExercisingApparatuses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in exercising apparatuses.

The object of the invention consists in providing means for varying theresistance to the pull, so that the apparatus may be expeditiouslyadjusted for a light, medium, or heavy pull, and thereby rendering theinvention suitable for the exercise of children, women, and

men.

Finally the object of the invention lies in providing an apparatus thatwill be strong, durable, efiicient, and one simple and comparativelyinexpensive to manufacture.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in thenovel details of construction and operation, a preferable embodiment ofwhich is described in the specification and illustrated in the drawings,where- 1n- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is aside elevation. Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of the double blocks.Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the springs in end elevation andshowing the couplingbar to which it is attached, and Fig. 5 is a sideview of the coupling-bar. Fig. 6 is adetail view of thespring-suspending ring. Fig. 7 is a similar view of a modified form ofring.

In the drawings the numeral 1 designates a yoke formed of stout wirebent and twisted upon itself to form the ring 2 and the eyes 3. Rods 5,formed with eyes 6 at their ends, are suspended from the ring 2 andsupport at their outer or lower ends pulley-blocks 7 The eyes 3 of theyoke 2 support a pair of double pulley-blocks 8, and below the blocks 8are provided another pair of double pulleyblocks 9. The blocks 7 8, and9 may be of any suitable style and material and are provided with eyesor swivels 10, by which they are supported. A pair of elastic ornon-elastic cords 11, each provided with a suitable handle 12, arethreaded through the blocks, as follows: each cord being passed throughone Serial No. 149,672. (No model.)

of the blocks 7 over the forward pulleys of the blocks 9, around theforward pulleys of the blocks 8, then down again and over the rearpulleys of the blocks 9, thence up over the rear pulleys of the blocks8, and finally down to the blocks 9, where they are secured to the eyes10. It will be readily seen that a very even movement of the cords overthe pulleys is obtained, thus prolonging the life of the cords andrelieving the apparatus of all movement of a jerky nature whenmanipulated by the operator.

As a means of varying the resistance oflfered to the handles 12 coiledsprings 13 are provided. These springs 13 are formed with hooks 1 1 ateach end, which are adapted to engage at their upper ends the eyes 15 ofthe blocks 9, and at their lower ends are hooked to the loops 16 of thecoupling-bars 17 The coupling-bars 17 are provided with integral rings18, which pass through the eyes 19 of the yoke 20. The yoke 20 issimilar to the yoke'2, being formed with a ring 21,- adapted to engageone of the suspending-hooks 22. The hooks 14 of the springs 13 are ofsuch a nature as to be readily disengaged from the eyes 15 and the loops16, and thus any or all of the springs may be used. For instance, shoulda resistance be desired, such as to cause a strong pull to be exertedupon the handles 12, such as aman would require, all the springs areemployed; but should a medium pull, such as a woman would use, bedesired the central spring is removed, and thus the resistance reduced,and should a light pull, such as would be suitable for children berequired, the two outer springs are removed, leaving only the centralspring to resist the pull.

From the foregoing it will be evident that the pull and resistance maybe varied by the use of any number of springs to suit the clifferentpersons exercising with the apparatus.

For suspending the apparatus suitable hooks 22 for the upper and lowerends are provided, and it is to be understood that the apparatus may beused in the position, shown in the drawings or that it maybe inverted,so as to suit the positions and movements of the operator.

In Fig. 7 I have shown a slightly-modified form of the ring 15 forsuspending the springs 13. It will be noticed that the ring 15 providesfor the spacing of the spring-hooks 14, so that the springs may beplaced in substantially parallel planes by substituting the modifiedring 15' for the coupling-bars 17 and ring 15. (Shown in Figs. 1 and 6;)In this last form there is no liability on the part of the springs tobind or rub against each other.

The operation of the apparatus is very simple and will be quite evidentfrom the foregoing description and the drawings. A pull exerted upon thehandles 12 causes the cords 11 to run over the pulleys, thus drawing theblocks together against the tension of the springs 13, which resist thepull and which resistance increases with the length of the pull. Whenthe pull is relaxed, the parts return to their normal position.

1 do not wish to limit myself to the exact details of construction andoperation as herein set forth, as I may make various changes in the samewithout departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination witha pair of oppositelydisposed yokes, pulleyscarried by one of said yokes, coupling bars carried by the other yoke, aresilient connecting means attached to said bars, pulleys attached tothe said resilient connecting means, cords passing over all of the saidpulleys, rods carried by one of said yokes and having their free endsformed with eyes and means supported by said eyes through which the freeendsof said cords pass.

2. An apparatus of the type set forth comprising a pair of yokes, formedwith an intermediate and end eyes, a coupling means engaging the endeyes of one of said yokes, pulleys engaging the end eyes of the otheryoke, intermediate pulleys, a resilient connection between said couplingmeans and intermediate pulleys, a pair of rods engaging the intermediateeye of one of said yokes, pulleys supported by said rods, cords passingover the first-named pulleys, intermediate pulleys, and last-namedpulleys, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES A. GRABNER. Witnesses:

JOHN A. SLoANE, JOHN D. (JADMAN.

